I am writing in response to your editorial “Some protest lack of protest stories” (1/29/06). You stated, “It’s newsworthy … when an impasse is reached.”

The nurses were picketing on Saturday, Jan. 14, because our contract had expired on Jan. 13 an no agreement had been reached. We were picketing because Enloe administration had not been bargaining in good faith and had outright rejected many proposals that are vitally important to nurses.

You also stated that Larry Mitchell “has written many stories over the years about contracts…” The nurses at Enloe have not negotiated a contract in four years so the union elections and stories that have been covered lately have not been about nurses.

Although Enloe is not a public employer, it is the only hospital in Chico and therefore, I feel that how it treats its nurses is of interest to the public. I was saddened to see that a crowd of nurses standing out in the pouring rain for what they believe is not considered newsworthy by the Enterprise-Record.